– Identify your own ethical perspective or theory and the principals associated with it1.      Describe how you might approach this situation using a consequentialist view, a non-consequentialist view and a virtue ethics view showing clearly how the decision would differ using each different perspective and why?

2.      State your own assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each theory or approach; and

Make a conclusion from this exercise about which approach would be most consistent with your personal worldview or your own personal ethical theory perspective and why.  You are then to use this perspective as the lens to consider the next scenarioStep 2 – Using your understanding of your own ethical theory, find the conflicts and identify the professional practice issues versus the ethical issues in this business scenario.

You are the operations manager for XYZ Sports Apparel.  This company has recently opened a factory in Guadalajara, Mexico to make various casual sports apparel.  Your product advantage is that XYZ’s clothes are impregnated with a special chemical that will completely block harmful UV radiation from sunlight. This will protect the wearers from developing melanoma from long-term exposure to sunlight through the pursuit of outdoor activities. 

The problem is that this chemical has been anecdotally linked to miscarriages.  Your company has met all of Mexico’s published safety standards even though the chemical has not been approved in the Australia or the USA and is banned in Europe.  You believe that there is not enough conclusive evidence to suggest that exposure to this chemical will result in increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who wear the clothing.  There is however, considerable evidence that melanoma is the number one cause of skin cancer deaths in the USA and in Australia.  The potential “health” benefit appeal will be tremendously profitable for the company and there are no laws being broken in any country by manufacturing this product.

In spite of this your management team is still concerned.  You have been asked to write a memo to your vice president of marketing in the US home office with your recommendations about what the company should do.  In your memo you will need to justify your view with your own ethical theory, your view on the rights and responsibilities of an organisation (does it have the same rights and responsibilities as an individual?) and any other practical and ethical considerations particularly the likely costs involved to make changes to this practice now

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